The athletic elite on the world stage today

In an era where nations invest large sums in The athletic elite on the world stage today, there is a lack of scientific knowledge on what contributes to international sporting success. This paper presents results from an international comparative research on the elite sport policies of six countries (Belgium, Netherlands, UK, Canada, Norway and Italy) and the associated elite sport climate. Using a wide range of criteria, a multi-method approach was employed to assess the policies and the elite sport climate in terms of nine policy areas or pillars that cover input, throughput and output.

Defying Limits: The Athletic Elite on the World Stage Today”

Athlete mental health is increasingly recognised as an important issue for athletes and the broader elite sport environment. However, the current focus of service-level attention and much of the scholarly literature is largely on managing the treatment of mental health symptoms once they emerge. There is potential for more comprehensive frameworks that recognise the broader elite sport ‘ecology’ as both a contributor to mental health difficulties and a facilitator of their remediation. These frameworks would recognise that athlete wellbeing is influenced by a range of factors, including coping and lifestyle practices, coaching style and training demands. They would also include a range of preventive measures such as mental health literacy programs to improve understanding, reduce stigma and promote help-seeking. Moreover, they would include a variety of screening measures with the ability to detect a range of mental health symptoms that are relevant for athletes at different stages in their career.